Chapter 48

“So, you ran away?” Takkas sneered at both Brnnt and Karkol.

“We could not win. I saw no point in throwing away lives to prove it,” Karkol shrugged. “Our losses were immense. We lost the military horde based on Vultoq and almost a third of the standby horde, one million three hundred thousand Yr’ch, for approximately ninety Vultoqi. Civilian casualties in Grmmar were total. We no longer hold the city, though fortunately the Vultoqi have chosen to reduce it to rubble, rather than keep advancing.”

“Surely with two Archimandrites helping we killed more Vultoqi?” Archimandrite Frust enquired.

“We needed all our power from Beog to simply make them visible and substantial. Even then they were able to use their psionic powers to deflect our weaponry as well as attacking us psionically. Only the new weapon platforms were effective and the Vultoqi either attacked them directly or avoided them. They are consummate warriors even without their ... invisibility,” Brnnt replied.

“Then we shall lose Vultoq?” Takkas asked.

“The Seeker had some thoughts on a device that will destroy the Vultoqi’s ability to remain insubstantial. He is presenting it, with our additional input, to the leaders of the TechnoYr’ch as we speak,” Karkol replied. “It is hoped then that we Beoghra can use our Beog given abilities to take the fight to them.”

“Then we have hope?”

“If you mean that we do not have to bring in Beog, then yes ... we have hope.”

It was obvious from the looks the Archimandrites were giving that that was exactly what they were thinking, though none were prepared to say it.

“When will you be informing Beog of the return of the ancient enemy?” Takkas slyly asked the Most High.

“Beog is all seeing and all knowing. Why would I tell him something he already knows?” the Most High sneered.

Both Brnnt and Karkol along with several other Archimandrites kept their faces neutral, it had become clear over the centuries that Beog was clearly not as the Most High had described and that his power, particularly on the outer worlds, was limited ... or as the two Archimandrites suspected, deliberately held back from the Beoghra to prevent them setting up their own empires. Beog was all about control and although any new empire might be loyal to him, it wouldn’t be loyal to the regime and expansion would stop as the Yr’ch inevitably fought each other.

“How soon will this new device be ready?” the Most High asked.

“I do not know. However, from the Seeker’s description, possibly not long. Once Brnnt and I had provided the necessary frequencies to break their ability to hide, the rest was simple science,” Karkol replied, knowing the device was simple, but not anything a TechnoYr’ch would likely have come up with.

“I will, if necessary, ‘encourage’ the TechnoYr’ch to hurry production,” the Most High added. “In order to stand a chance, we need to be able to both see and kill our enemy.”

“Can the TechnoYr’ch produce this device in sufficient numbers?” Karkol asked Crnnch after the meeting.

“They can produce a device in a day. They are also working on the nanite componentry to produce a factory to make them on Vultoq, though that will take longer,” Crnnch replied. “I’ve also requested that they not use neural stranding as a control system; such use is vulnerable to Vultoqi manipulation as they demonstrated in the past.”

“One a day is not nearly enough,” Brnnt scowled.

“They claim they have other ‘important’ projects,” Crnnch added ruefully as he’d been treated somewhat in disdain by the head of the TechnoYr’ch.

“I will mention this to the Most High. I’m fairly sure he will move mountains rather than involve Beog,” Karkol chuckled morosely.

“What of Beoghra support for our hordes?”

“The Council is to order the Dasturs to support the auxiliary horde currently holding the perimeter around Grmmar. Though as you’ll have noted, their powers are limited except for being able to wipe out all life on the planet. We know that doesn’t work on the Vultoqi as it has been tried in the past,” Karkol admitted. “Production of the mobile weapon platforms has increased as well and they are being portalled as soon as they are made.”

“I’m just grateful Ar-Thenna chose to help us,” Brnnt added quietly. “It is a sad fact that it was her allies that took down the majority of the Vultoqi, not the Yr’ch hordes.”

“As we all are; though the hordes we assisted fought bravely,” Karkol nodded along with a sign of assent from Crnnch.

“This is true, though it is obvious courage will not be enough,” Brnnt agreed.

“What do you mean it’s an alien? Of course it’s an alien, it’s intelligent, but clearly not human,” Roxanne stated to Xi who was giving a presentation on what they’d found out about the Vultoqi physiology.

“All life we’ve discovered so far is carbon based, including the Veda,” Xi explained, with a polite nod at Tchac’trar who was following the presentation with interest, as were we all. “The Vultoqi however aren’t, nor do they appear to be from Vultoq itself, despite their superficial resemblance to psionic eviscerators.”

“OK, so what are they based upon?”

“Sulphur. They don’t breathe, they don’t have a digestive tract, they are ... walking energy absorbers,” Xi explained.

“Like solar cells?” Arch asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

“A bit. Only whereas the most efficient solar cell mundanes can currently produce is about 25% efficient, these run nearer 90% plus they also convert other radiated energy, such as heat, to their use. Basically, if it’s in energy form, like radiation, they can use it, including quantum energy from the boundaries.”

“But they can be killed?” Harmel asked.

“Fortunately, yes. Otherwise we’d have an impossible problem on our hands, as opposed to a really serious one,” Xi chuckled.

“That phasing trick they use with just a force blade showing is pretty nasty too,” I added, with a frown.

“Yes, though we ... Mages that is, can detect that,” Roxanne replied.

“We can force them out of their phase to get at them with Null,” Brianna mused. “Shame Null doesn’t affect them more, particularly as they use quantum boundary energy absorption.”

“Aye, though I suspect that they can use other energy forms to get around that,” Roxanne nodded.

“Makes them a lot more deadly through the day, I’d guess,” I posited.

“Yes, John. It does, though they’d be deadly enough at night too,” Xi answered.

“Any other known abilities?” Roxanne asked.

“Immensely strong, can use magic, view all other life forms capable of intelligent thought and reasoning as a threat,” Jemima replied. “Also particularly hate the Orcs for throwing them off their planet, though that won’t stop them from killing us if we get in their way ... or just happen to be watching.”

“So not potential allies then?” Sinnead asked with a wry smile.

“No, but then again neither were the Orcs originally,” Jemima shrugged.

“That’s true,” Roxanne agreed. “What progress are you making, Athena?” she asked, turning to the Power.

“My people are settling in well, but at the moment I’m no real threat to Beog,” she replied. “The two Thaumaturges helping Crnnch are Brnnt and Karkol. They’re what the Orcs call Archimandrites and they’re one step below the one they call the Most High. Both are extremely disenchanted with the Orc regime and Beog in particular. You have a saying that familiarity breeds contempt, well, they’re very familiar with Beog and the lies he’s promoted to gain the power he’s squirreling away for some purpose or other. They’ve also realised that Beog is indifferent to their ability to draw upon his power to the extent he simply hasn’t noticed they only say the words of worship, not mean them, unlike Gregorius ... or indeed any of the Theurgists on Earth I’m now familiar with.”

“Surprised they haven’t been found out,” Roxanne shrugged.

“Beog is distant unless called upon in person by the Most High; essentially he’s blind to dissent in the ranks unless he’s asked to intervene. Apparently the Most High is afraid to ask as Beog tends to get a bit indiscriminate if annoyed unnecessarily,” Athena explained. “That’s unnecessarily by Beog’s standards.”

“Is that a common trait in Higher Powers?” I asked.

“Some, yes. Hopefully it’s not a path I’ll go down, not with Gregorius to keep me balanced,” she chuckled. “Oh, and thanks for not pointing out that I’m not carbon based, Xi”

“Not sure what you’re based,” Xi replied with a smile.

“Energy, pure energy.”

“Oh...”

“What you consider to be solid mass is just a different energy state. I’m energy; therefore I can be mass or rather give myself mass. Belief channels energy into me, hence Beog’s attempts to big himself up by creating a mass of followers on different worlds, all linked to him.”

“Still can’t tell us everything though,” Roxanne chuckled.

“Nope,” Athena replied with a grin.

“Well, we won’t pry further, but thank you, my friend,” Roxanne replied with a formal bow, which Athena returned.

The meeting then turned to the outer Orc worlds and our attempts to remove the Orbs upon them. Particularly in regard to the Seers’ attempts to detect them via a constantly updating algorithm as suggested by Athena.

“Problem is now they keep moving them and throwing off our calculations, again though, that’s improving,” Jemima admitted.

“Keep on it until we have them all, I’d like to opt for a coup de grâce on all their remaining worlds save possibly Vultoq and Draenoric,” Roxanne nodded.

“One less headache at least,” Sinnead agreed.

“Yes, mostly I want these Vultoq contained, as, from what the Higher Powers are telling us, they’re the biggest threat to this cluster if they take it into their heads to go exploring.”

“They would be,” Athena added. “From a cursory scan I rather doubt the Powers would be able to easily contain them, unlike the Orcs. I’m also pretty sure the Orcs were permitted to expand to cause the Vultoqi to emerge. Don’t ask me why though, but it may become self-evident the more we get to know them.”

“Turning it into a one way world won’t work either, not with the magical abilities this bunch have. Can’t say I’m any too happy with being forced to contain both Orc and Vultoqi either,” Roxanne replied with a grimace.

“Be nice to know if we’re supposed to ‘save’ the Vultoqi as well, because currently we’re heading towards wiping them out,” I shrugged.

“Aye, not exactly a nice prospect,” Roxanne nodded. “Then again we didn’t know the path we were heading down when we planned this mission either.”

“Manipulated by the Powers, I suspect,” Xi replied thoughtfully.

“Yes, but it would have become a problem for us, no doubt at a later date,” Harmel shrugged.